Display container



Feb. 6, 1968 H. A. GRAY ETAL 3,367,511

DISPLAYVCONTAINER Filed Dec. 15, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR. HARRYA. GRAY DENNISR. MCCARTHY ATTORNEY F b- 6, 1968 H. AfGRAY Em. 3,367,511

DI SPLAY CONTAINER Filed Dec. 15, 1965 3 sheets-sheet 2 I? 1 l5 5 17 5*l9 1. limb v INVENTOR.

A. GRAY F 6 323318 R. McCARTHY I ATTORNEY DISPLAY CONTAINER Filed Dec.15, 1965 3 Sheets-Shet 2 I50 l 8 I .4 A INVENTOR.

' HARRY A. GRAY DENNIS R. MCCARTHY ATTORNEY United States Patent3,367,511 DISPLAY CONTAINER Harry A. Gray, 6661 Markley Way, Apt. 2,Sacramento, Calif, and Dennis R. McCarthy, 230 Lockwood Lane, SantaCruz, Calif. 95060 Filed Dec. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 514,007 11 "Claims.(Cl. 211-433) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A display container in which anarticle supporting platform has a cylindrical shape and is supported bygrooved, upright slats disposed along the cylindrical edge thereof. Aflexible band is secured to the slats transversely thereof for holdingthe slats of the unit from a planar configuration to a cylindricalconfiguration.

The present invention relates in general to display containers, and moreparticularly to a display container that can be packaged in a compactmanner for shipment.

An object of the present invention is to provide a display containerthat can be packed in a compact manner for facilitating the shippingthereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedprefabricated display container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a displaycontainer that can be shipped in a relatively flat package and that canbe assembled as a substantially cylindrical container with facility.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a displaycontainer that is economical to manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a displaycontainer that is collapsible for shipping.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention willbe apparent to one skilled in the art from the following descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the display container of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the articlesupporting counter with upright supports and a band.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view illustrating adetachable securing arrangement in the assembling of the displaycontainer of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an exploded plan view of the display container of the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a disassembled display container of the presentinvention illustrated in the shipping carton with the cover of thecarton open.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the shipping carton shown in FIG. 5 with aportion thereof broken away to illustrate the compactness of thedisassembled display container of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modification of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the securing of thebands and slats to a platform in the modified display container shown inFIG. 7.

Illustrated in FIG. 1 is a completely assembled display container 10 ofthe present invention which comprises a cylindrical counter or productsupporting platform 11. In actual practice, bottled goods rest on thecounter 11 to be supported thereby and to be displayed thereon. Thus,the platform 11 has a horizontally disposed, flat supporting surface.

For supporting the platform 11 above the floor supporting surface, aplurality of upright slats or upright members 15-20 are disposed alongthe peripheral or armate edge of the cylindrical platform 11 in uniformangu- 3,367,511 Patented Feb. 6, 1968 larly spaced relationship. Formedin each slat 15-20 is a transverse groove 25 which receives theperipheral edge of the cylindrical platform 11 therewithin.

The lower edges of the slats 15-20 rest on a floor supporting surface inplanar relationship. Also, the grooves 25 of the slats 1520 are planarand of equal height so that the platform 11 would be parallel to thefloor supporting surface. As observed from FIG. 1, the upper edges ofthe slats 1520 may be of varying height. The slats 19 are reduced inheight to provide an access for the removing or placing of products fromor onto the platform 11, while the slats 15-18 and 20 are of increasedheight to form a container wall.

Fixedly secured to the slats 15 by suitable screws are an upper flexibleband 30 and a lower flexible band 31. The band 30 is substantially thesame height as the grooves 25. As shown in FIGS. 1-3, the bands 30 and31 are of sufiicient length to extend transversely across the adjacentslats 16 and 20. Similarly, an upper flexible band 33 and a lowerflexible band 34 are fixedly secured to the slats 17 by suitable screws.The bands 33 and 34 are of the same height as the bands 30 and 31,respectively. The bands 33 and 34 are of sufiicient height to extendtransversely across the slats 16 and 18. Thus, the bands 30 and 33overlap at the slat 16 (FIG. 3) and are detachably secured thereto by asuitable bolt and wing nut 40.

In a similar manner, the slats 19 are fixedly secured by a suitablescrew to an upper flexible band 41 and a lower flexible band 42. Thebands 41 and 42 are of sufficient length so as to extend transverselyacross the slats 18 and 20. The bands 41 and 42 are of equal height withthe bands 30, 33 and 31, 34, respectively. The bands 33 and 41 overlapat the slat 18 and are detachably secured thereto by a suitable bolt andwing nut. Likewise, the bands 34 and 42 overlap at the slat 18 and aredetachably secured thereto by a suitable bolt and wing nut. Further, thebands 30 and 41 overlap at the slat 20 and are detachably securedthereto by a suitable bolt and wing nut. The bands 31 and 42 alsooverlap at the slat 20 and are detachably secured thereto by a suitablebolt and wing nut.

When disassembled, the display container 10 is shipped in a compact,flat carton C (FIGS. 5 and 6). In the disassembled form the platform 11,the slats 16, 18 and 20 appear as individual and separate units.Further, the slats 15 with the bands 30 and 31 secured thereto appear asa separate and distinct unit; the slats 17 with the bands 33 and 34secured thereto appear as a separate and distinct unit; and the slats 19with the bands 41 and 42 secured thereto appear as a separate anddistinct unit.

In assembling the display container 10, all the units are removed fromthe carton C. Thereupon, the units are placed relative to one another asshown in FIG. 4. The bands 30 and 31 are placed in overlapping relationand then secured to the slat 20 by the wing nut and bolt. Similarly, thebands 31 and 34 are placed in overlapping relation and then secured tothe slat 20 by the wing nut and bolt.

The cylindrical platform 20 is inserted into the grooves 25 and thebolted units are urged into a cylindrical configuration. At this time,the bands 30 and 33 are disposed in overlapping relation and bolted tothe slat 16 with the platform 11 inserted in the grooves 25 of the slats17. Likewise, the bands 31 and 34 are disposed in overlapping relationand bolted to the slat 16. Now, the bands 33 and 41 are placed inoverlapping relation and bolted to the slat 16. Thereupon, the bands 33and 41 are positioned in overlapping relation and bolted to the slat 18.Lastly, the bands 34 and 42 are deposited in overlapping relation andbolted to the slat 18. The display container 10 now assumes the fullyassembled configuration as shown in FIG. 1.

While the display container 10 is shown as substantially cylindrical, itcan be formed in other configurations such as oval and the like. As longas the peripheral edge of the platform 11 is arcuate or curved, theflexible bands and the assembled slats will assume the configuration ofthe peripheral edge of the platform 11.

In the exemplary embodiment, the platform 11 and the slats 1520 are madefrom suitable material, such as redwood. The flexible bands aremetallic, such as suitable steel straps.

In FIG. 7 is illustrated a modified display container 50. Like parts ofthe display container 50 with respect to the display container 10 areassigned the same reference numeral with the sufiix a. In the modifieddisplay container 50, a hub 51 is disposed at the axis of thecylindrical platform 11a with vertical disposed slats formed therein atspaced angular intervals along the periphery thereof. Radially disposedpartitions 55 are disposed between the hub 51 and the slats 15a20a toform separated bins for displaying bottled products.

A lower platform 60 is mounted below the platform 11a. Portions of theslats 15a20a are cut away to provide access opening 6167 for theproducts stored on the platform 60. Flexible bands 7073 are fixed to theslats 15a-20a in a manner previously described for the bands 30, 31, 33,34, 41 and 42. A third counter 80 supported by the partitions 55provides another display supporting surface.

According to the present invention, the screws received by the band 70and the upper sections of the slats are also inserted into the platform11a, thus conforming the configuration of the container wall to thecontour of the peripheral edge of the counter 11a. Likewise, the screwsreceived by the flexible band 71 and the lower sections of the slats arealso inserted into the counter 60, thus conforming the configuration ofthe wall of the container 50 to the peripheral edge of the platform 60.

It is to be understood that modifications and variations of theembodiments of the invention disclosed herein may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A display container comprising a platform with a cylindrical edge anda supporting surface, a plurality of upright members connected to saidplatform along the cylindrical edge thereof for supporting said platformabove a supporting surface, and a flexible band secured to said uprightmembers transversely thereof for retaining said upright members as aunit from a planar configuration to a cylindrical configurationconforming to the contour of the cylindrical edge of said platform.

2. A display container as claimed in claim 1 wherein said uprightmembers are disposed in spaced relation along the cylindrical edge ofsaid platform.

3. A display container as claimed in claim 1 wherein a second flexibleband is secured to said upright members in vertically spaced relation tosaid first mentioned flexible band.

4. A display container as claimed in claim 1 wherein means are receivedby said band, said upright members and said platform for securing saidband, upright members and platform together and for conforming theconfiguration of said upright members and band to the contour of thecylindrical edge of said platform.

5. A display container comprising a platform with an arcuate edge and asupporting surface, a plurality of upright members connected to saidplatform along the arcuate edge thereof for supporting said platformabove a supporting surface, and a flexible band secured to said uprightmembers transversely thereof for retaining said upright members as aunit from a planar configuration to an arcuate configuration conformingto the contour of the arcuate edge of said platform, said uprightmembers being grooved to receive the arcuate edge of said platform.

6. A display container comprising a platform with an arcuate edge and asupporting surface, a plurality of upright members connected to saidplatform along the arcuate edge thereof for supporting said platformabove a supporting surface, and a flexible band secured to said uprightmembers transversely thereof for retaining said upright members as aunit from a planar configuration to an arcuate configuration conformingto the contour of the arcuate edge of said platform, said uprightmembers being formed into a plurality of separate groups, each group ofsaid upright members being fixedly secured to a respective flexibleband, and said groups of upright members being detachably securedend-to-end by the joining of adjacent flexible bands to conform to thecontour of the arcuate edge of said platform.

7. A display container as claimed in claim 6 wherein adjacent flexiblebands overlap at the ends thereof, an upright member being disposed inconfronting relation to overlapping ends of adjacent flexible bands,said last mentioned upright members being connected to the arcuate edgeof said platform, and means detachably securing said overlapping ends ofadjacent flexible bands to the associated confronting upright member toconform the groups of upright members to the contour of the arcuate edgeof said platform.

8. A display container as claimed in claim 7 wherein radially disposedpartitions are disposed on said platform and extend to the arcuate edgethereof to form separate bins.

9. A display container as claimed in claim 8 wherein a hub is disposedon said platform to join the walls of said partitions extending towardthe center of said platform.

10. A display container as claimed in claim 7 wherein a second flexibleband is disposed in vertical spaced relation to each of said previouslymentioned flexible bands, adjacent second flexible bands being arrangedto overlap at the ends thereof, and means detachably securing saidoverlapping ends of adjacent second flexible bands to the associatedconfronting upright member to conform the groups of upright members tothe contour of the arcuate edge of said platform.

11. A display container as claimed in claim 9 wherein a second platformrests on said partitions to form a supporting surface.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 93,059 8/1934 Walker 211l33 XR1,093,450 4/1914 McLaughlin 2l1l33 XR 1,883,833 10/1932 Tilton 211l33 XR2,639,039 5/1953 Daniels 21 1-71 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner.

